What the Atonement means to me

Easter is such a wonderful time of year. It's when we remember Christ's ministry on the earth, leading up to his betrayal, crucifixion, and resurrection. It's the most amazing gift ever. That Christ would willingly sacrifice his life so that the whole world would be saved. Before the world was created, Christ was a part of this plan.

There was a council in heaven, before the worlds were created. The spirits were trying to determine a plan to save the world. Two plans were proposed. One was from Satan, saying, "Behold, here am I, send me, I will be thy son, and I will redeem all mankind, that one soul shall not be lost, and surely I will do it; wherefore give me thine honor" (Moses 4:2). Christ also offered a plan; He  wanted to allow people to have free will, also offered to do whatever the Lord required, and that all the glory would go to God. The council decided to follow Christ's plan. A third of heaven fell away and followed Satan. Christ was willing to do anything that was required, even sacrificing his whole life, so that the world would be saved.

When Christ was in the garden of Gethsemane, he prayed to His Father for strength. He needed strength to be able to go through all the pain and agony that would occur during his betrayal and death on the cross. In the garden, he suffered much. In Doctrine and Covenants 19:18-19, "Which suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit-and would that I might not drink the bitter cup, and shrink-Nevertheless, glory be to the Father, and I partook and finished my preparations unto the children of men." Christ decided to follow through, because he knew that doing so would save all people. He knew all people that were, are, and that would be, could see them all, and loved each and everyone of them. Both there, and on the cross, when Christ suffered unimaginable pain and agony, he felt all our pains, sorrows, sins, and anguish. Christ bore it all.

By dying, being buried, and rising again from the dead, he atoned for all the sins of the world. He provided a way for us to have eternal life. All are given immortality, but only some will live with God forever. Those that live with God for all of eternity are those that are faithful, have followed his commandments, have made and kept sacred covenants, and have endured through life's difficulties. We will all stand trial before God, and Christ will cover the sins of those who have chosen Him.

This atonement means so much to me. By it and through it, I know that I have been redeemed. All my sins have been wiped away and mean no more. Yes, I have screwed up in my past, and I will make other errors in my future, but as long as I continue to repent and change my ways, I will be forgiven, for each and every one of them. Christ has felt all my pains and sorrows. He knows exactly what I am going through, in every moment of my life. He is the great Comforter and Protector. I know I can always turn to Him in any situation, and that He will guide my life. Through Him, I can become more than I could be on my own. I know that God has a perfect plan for my life, and I strive my best to live it, day by day.

Me on Easter.

Lessons learned from General Conference: Who/what are you ligated to?

Let me start off by saying that I absolutely love General Conference! I love listening to inspired words given to us, twice a year, from our beloved Prophet, his counselors, the quorum of the twelves Apostles, members of the Seventy, and other general authorities. Their words share relevant messages for all people. And it's a great reminder that revelation has not ceased, that God is the same today, like He was in the past (Hebrews 13:8). Anyway, I thought I would share some of my highlights from conference, centered around one of the messages, this one presented by Elder Russel M. Nelson, "Who/what are you ligated to?"

Elder Nelson, who was a heart surgeon, mentioned that ligation means to tie something to something else. What a person is tied to is what they focus on, what they strive to achieve, what they emulate their life on. In fact, the word "religion" comes from the  Latin religiōn-  (stem of religiō )conscientiousness, piety, equivalent to relig ( āre ) to tie, fasten ( re- re- + ligāre  to bind, tie; cf. ligament) + -iōn- -ion; cf. rely (dictionary.com). Our religion is what we are tied to.

We should all be ligated to Christ, and should live our lives in a manner that shows that to others. We also need to make sure that we act like we're following Christ daily, not just on Sundays when it's easy, but also when we are faced with adversity, and it is easier to just back down. That's especially when we need to stand firm in our faith. It is better to stand alone than to not stand up at all.

Elder Dieter F. Utchdorf said that we can be grateful when we are burdened or sorrowed. We need to remember that the Lord has never, nor will He ever, leave our side. He is always there, waiting for us to turn to Him. We are commanded to thank the Lord in all tings. Commandments are a way for us to exercise our agency and receive blessings in return. We should seek gratitude as a way of life, independent of whatever may happen. When we are grateful to God in any circumstance, we can experience the warmth of Heaven's grace. One of my favorite lines from Elder Utchdorf's talk was, "Don't wait for the rainbow instead of thanking for the rain." So many people, myself included, pray for deliverance out of a problem, instead of having the strength to make it through. We need to be thankful for the hard times, because it shapes us and helps us develop some good attributes along the way. One day, we will learn the reason for our trials. Through everything, we should stay ligated to the Savior.

Elder M. Russell Ballard pointed out the importance of being persistent and consistent in anything you do. We should be consistently following the Savior, and should be persistently sharing the message of His love and Gospel to our friends, family, and even strangers. We need to replace our fear with true faith, and then the Lord can work even more through us.

Sister Jean A. Stevens, first counselor in the General Primary Presidency mentioned that you can feel peace in the midst of turmoil. no matter where you are on the path of life's difficulties, you are NOT alone. You are tied to the Savior, and the Savior is tied to you, willing and wanting to help.

Bishop Gary E. Stevenson, from the presiding Bishopric, compared our life to the four or so minutes that people in the Winter Olympics perform their event. The olympians spend many years perfecting their skills to perform for a short period of time. After that time is over, they will reap the benefits of their practicing. So is life. We have such a short time on the earth compared to the amount of time that will be in the life to come. We need to live our lives in such a manner that God will be able to tell us, "Well done, my good and faithful servant."

Elder David A. Bednar also talked about difficulties in life. We need to think and evaluate if the load we're carrying giving us the needed traction to help us return to Heavenly Father. If not, it may not be something that we need to be bearing in our lives. We also need to remember that happiness is not the absence of a load. We can be happy, even through trials.

President Thomas S. Monson reminded us that we cannot fully love God unless we love our neighbors, and we cannot love others fully unless we love God. We need to recognize someone's need and then fulfill it. Just think of how many people's lives we can change by a simple act of kindness. It's vast and innumerable.

There were many other great talks. The best thing about all these talks, with their vast and varied subjects, is that they all pointed back to Christ. This is what our church is all about. It's even in the name, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. We claim Christ as the center of everything that we say and do. All of the speakers closed their talks with their testimony of the Savior, and how that has been important in their lives. I would challenge each and everyone of you to reread, watch, listen to the different conference talks, and then attempt to live what you learn. You can go to lds.org to learn more,or just click here to learn more about General Conference. Remember, in all things to tie yourself to Christ. He will never lead you astray.

After one of the sessions of General Conference: Sister Holmstead, Sister Sampson, me, Elder Rasmussen, and Elder Linford.